As noted earlier, we believe the disaggregation of collective Jewish identity is an important development with long-term implications for the Jewish community and Jewish leadership. While research is not an area that generally attracts Jewish organizational attention and philanthropic investment, we believe this subject – the nature and substance of Jewish collective identity – deserves such attention and investment.
While Israel advocacy in both the Jewish and wider communities will
continue to be required, as recent events have made abundantly clear, if polarization within Jewish communities is to be reduced, a massive investment in Israel Education is also needed. Serious Israel Education enables students to learn about the abiding connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, the historical context in which Zionism emerged and experience Israel’s cultural, economic, and technological vibrancy. And most important in terms of reducing growing polarization, serious Israel Education also introduces young and old to the broad range of diverse perspectives and ideological views advanced by Zionist thinkers, groups, and political parties. They will learn that committed Zionist leaders, who have served
as Israel’s leaders, have sharply divergent views about how Israel shoulddeal with the territories captured in l967, about economic policy and far more.
There has been a rhetorical commitment to invest in Israel Education for many years and some important initiatives have emerged. To bring Israel Education to scale so it can have the impact that is needed will require a significant investment of resources — to prepare educators, and teachers and develop curriculum appropriate for different ages and settings (Jewish day schools; supplemental schools, Jewish summer camps, etc.).
Many participants raised the arbitrary and unknown ways in which Jewish groups are permitted to participate in Jewish communal events and/or are excluded from doing so. We recommend that Jewish leadership groups – including The Conference of Presidents, federations, and others – accept the notion that all who affirm explicitly and publicly the right of the Jewish people to sovereignty in our ancient homeland can legitimately participate in Jewish communal events.
One exacerbating factor in the polarization between Israel and the Diaspora, and perhaps the distancing and alienation of certain Diaspora populations, is the incendiary language (including terms such as “poison,” “traitor,” “antisemite”) deployed by some Israeli government officials and other leaders toward Jewish individuals and organizations with whom they disagree (including liberal Jewish individuals and organizations in Israel and the Diaspora). We therefore recommend that these deleterious effects be taken into consideration when formulating their statements, especially if directed at organizations and individuals that affirm explicitly and publicly the right of the Jewish people to sovereignty in its ancestral homeland.
Efforts should be made in leadership training/development to deepen the ability of Jewish leaders to understand, work with, and listen to those with whom they differ substantially. Pilots were cited in the Dialogue sessions of community efforts that brought together those with markedly divergent views and which also highlighted what is shared. Participants would ideally come to realize that although they hold divergent views on a range of contemporary issues, what is shared is of deep, abiding significance. Many reported that such efforts enhanced the ability of leaders to work together despite a range of different, sometimes conflicting views.
